# Feijoa (*Feijoa sellowiana*) The feijoa is a tasty fruit that grows on a bush. It has a sweet flavor and smells wonderful! The bush has beautiful green leaves and pretty flowers. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Guavasteen, Pineapple Guava ![Feijoa](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Acca_sellowiana_Fruit_MHNT_Fronton.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acca_sellowiana_Fruit_MHNT_Fronton.jpg) ## Appearance The Feijoa is a dense shrub or small tree with oval, leathery dark green leaves that have a distinctive silvery underside. Its striking flowers boast thick white petals contrasting with a burst of bright red stamens. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Myrtales - **Family:** Myrtaceae - **Genus:** Feijoa ## Interesting facts - Feijoa trees can live for many decades, becoming a long-lasting garden friend! - Its beautiful flowers have edible petals that taste sweet and crunchy like candy! - Some birds, like fantails, love to snack on the sweet, juicy pulp of the fallen fruit! - The yummy feijoa fruit actually drops to the ground when it's perfectly ripe! ## Special abilities - **Sweet Nectar Petals:** Feijoa has thick, sweet flower petals that attract pollinators, rewarding them with a tasty snack. - **Sun-Reflecting Leaves:** Feijoa has leaves with a silvery underside, which helps reflect sunlight and reduce water loss in dry conditions. - **Aromatic Fruit Drop:** Feijoa fruit naturally drops when perfectly ripe, releasing an irresistible aroma to signal its readiness. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-700 cm - **Spread:** 100-500 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Early Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Main pollinator, attracted to its sweet flower petals. - **Eaten by:** Rufous-bellied thrush (*Turdus rufiventris*) — Feeds on ripe, fallen fruit, helping to spread seeds. - **Parasitizes:** Woolly apple aphid (*Eriosoma lanigerum*) — Sucks sap from roots and stems, weakening the plant. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash fruits before eating them to keep them clean and safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Feijoa? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Feijoa? 100-700 cm ### How wide does Feijoa spread? 100-500 cm ### How big are the flowers on Feijoa? 2-4 cm ### When does Feijoa bloom? Late Spring to Early Summer ### Is Feijoa edible? Yes ### Is Feijoa toxic? None ### What is Feijoa's lifecycle? Perennial ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Feijoa: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/feijoa)